Getting mini delivered, couple of questions

hhb · Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:04 am

I am about to get a mini home delivered in the next day or two. It's not in a park; it's actually an old homestead site we bought last year (house burned down 7 years ago). I've had the site filled with good draining sand & gravel and levelled, brought in the well & septic pipes. The mini I bought is a bank repo'd 1987 64 x 16.

The guys that are delivering it make this their primary business (moving minis and mobiles), and have been in business a long time (like 20 years or more), and are charging enough ($4000 + tax to move it 25 kilometres / 15 miles), what should me expectations be of them? Should I just be able to sit back or should I keep a close eye on them the whole day? Any advice about that part of it?

How high off the ground should it be when we set it up? I can't tell from it's present location as it's on a hill, the skirting on the back is only about a foot high while on the front it's probably 3 feet. I suppose it's arbitrary, but is there a good rule of thumb when you have a level lot?

I don't want to use that cheap vinyl skirting, it has that now and it's all gone to hell and it doesn't look that old. Also looks like it does nothing to slow down mice, it doesn't go into the ground at all. I've asked this here before I think, but metal roofing buried into the ground works well as skirting? Other possibility was plywood with some kind of treatment to slow down rot where it gets buried, which I think would be stiffer and more solid, but obviously not as long lasting (maybe).

Any other advice about moving day would also be appreciated. I know nothing about minis and mobiles, this is my first one, and although I've had a couple of old houses and renovated them in the past, the concept of having a house "delivered" is completely foreign to me.

Greg S · Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:54 am

Assuming the guys you have hired are as experienced as you suggest you should be asking them these questions. I would assume if this is their primary business they should have all the answers.
In addition when you applied for the building permit from your local township they should have detailed such things as minimum height, ground prep, pier configuration, anchors etc.

JD · Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:16 pm

Deep road to driveway transitions, small property bridges and extreme humps or dips can bottom out the home. Usually not to big of a deal if they can just scrape by. But if they try to make it and bottom out to the point where they are stopped, there is usually some frame damage. They can lose a porch light or scrape the side of the home if they are negotiating trees, poles and the like.

What I feel is a perfect height of the home is when the bottom of the factory siding is 28" from the ground. This leaves enough room to crawl around under the home easily. I would not want the average height (or large area) to be less than 24" as that makes things more difficult for us slightly portly built dudes. The frame hangs lower than the bottom edge of the siding. I am not 24" portly.

Be sure they install a vapor barrier on the ground. This should be 6 mil plastic. With a single wide, there is a lot less stuff to worry about in a set up as a home owner.

Is their contract for move and hook-up only? Are there awnings, AC units or other parts being brought in with the mobile? There will need to be legal steps to all doors to get a move-in clearance.

hhb · Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:50 pm

These guys are experienced, yes, but that's never any guarantee of anything.

I got a permit to place it, but there's nothing there about setup or configuration. They got a permit to move it. As far as vapour barrier goes, there's none under it now, and no word about that. I haven't seen it on any other one around here either. What's the purpose? I don't think it's done around here normally. Usually they're just up on blocks, that's it. However, if the vapour barrier is a good idea, I might bring it up with them, after all it's pretty cheap I think.

There's nothing on the outside except a porch light which they are taking off anyway, no A/C or anything like that. They are also taking down the electrical mast for clearance, removed all the skirting (it was all crap anyway), got it up on 4 axles & wheels today, and installed a hitch. Not actually moving it today though, probably going to be Friday after tomorrow's rain stops. Once they get it here, on blocks and levelled, I think they are done. I handle the plumbing & skirting, electrician for the electrical.

Greg · Tue Jul 31, 2012 7:08 pm

You are right, putting a barrier down is not common AND it's a good idea. Since you have rain now it may be a good idea and a lot easier to put it down before before the home is in place. Just lay it out and place the home over it and it will be drier for them to do the work when the do the set up.

Greg

hhb · Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:16 am

Greg wrote:You are right, putting a barrier down is not common AND it's a good idea. Since you have rain now it may be a good idea and a lot easier to put it down before before the home is in place. Just lay it out and place the home over it and it will be drier for them to do the work when the do the set up.

Greg

Help me understand; why is it a good idea? What does it accomplish? Does it keep underneath the MH drier? My feeling was it would trap moisture underneath of it and make a great breeding area for bugs, rather than allowing the ground to breathe - but I'm not expert in this. Also, if it's a really good idea, why don't people do it?

Greg · Wed Aug 01, 2012 5:20 pm

The idea behind it is this. The ground does have a moisture vapor that is coming from the surface. That vapor is trapped under your home and even proper ventilation is still there. That can result in moisture problems such as mold & rotting wood. The plastic will prevent the moisture from coming up through the ground.

Why don't people do it? Good question. Had I known 20 years ago what I know now I would have done some things different, I think I just plain got lucky when I bought this place new. I would have opted for some of the upgrades.

The idea of vapor barriers has come to light over the past few years and they do make sense. Many of the structural problems in mobiles can be 100% related to a water/moisture issue, anything done to reduce the odds in my book is a good thing.

Greg